Dogs Can Become Babies Best Friends Too

Having a dog is like having a child in your house, they are so adorable, loyal, fun and sometimes annoying but we still love them. However when the real baby comes along, as a dog owner it is normal to become very wary of the dog. So before you stock up on baby gear, you need to make sure you family pet is ready for the transition. Regardless of how much the dog is trained or how well mannered they are you will still be worried about how they will react towards your baby. Will they be aggressive or will they enjoy the moment with you? These are the tough questions that run through your mind.

You need not to worry, dogs are very cleaver. When properly introduced to the new bundle of joy they may become ”siblings” and best friends in a short amount of time and you will not have to worry when the dog is around the baby. Here are some cleaver tricks you can adopt in order to ensure you introduce your dog to your baby safely.

Steps to Take

1. Prepare the dog for the baby before bringing the baby home.

Train the dog how to react when the baby comes home instead of surprising the dog with the baby. Teach them the new boundaries that they can’t cross and things they can’t do before the baby comes. A good example is training the dog not to enter the baby’s room or bite on the baby’s toys.

2. Introduce the baby to the dog slowly.

If the dog is not used to having a baby in the house they may become surprised and curious too when they reach home, if this is not properly handled things may get out of hand and the dog may pose some kind of danger to the baby. Introducing the dog to the babies scent before formally physically introducing the two is a good idea, this can be done by allowing the dog to sniff some of the babies clothes or blankets.

3. Play baby noises on videos and on tapes.

As stated above surprising the dog with a new baby is probably not a good idea. Playing baby tapes (like the video below) with their sound’s either crying or playing before the baby comes home will help the dog get used to the babies crying or playing noise instead of surprising them with a noise they are not used to.

4. Don’t stop paying attention to the dog.

A dog has feelings too. Try to balance the amount of attention you give to the dog and the baby. Give the dog same amount of attention you used to give it before the baby came along. If you have to reduce the amount of attention due to the needs of the baby you have to do it gradually instead of abruptly reducing the attention. You can also pay attention to both of them while at the same time introducing the two together as you play with both the baby and the dog. Make sure the dog continues to get plenty of exercise.

5. Try introducing the dog to other kids before the baby comes.

Before the baby comes home try as much as possible to introduce the dog to other kids and let them play together. The dog will get used to kids and not grown ups alone, this will make the introduction to your baby much more easier.

6. Read the dogs reaction towards the baby.

Understanding your dog’s reaction towards the baby will help you understand which method to use when introducing the dog to the baby. In case the dog becomes aggressive towards the baby you will have to set up more restrictions and introduce the two slowly, if the dog warms up to the baby it becomes easy to introduce the dog to the baby.

7. Teach the baby how to handle the dog.

When the dog and the baby understand each other their relationship is likely to flourish. Just like dogs, babies too do not know how to handle a dog. Teaching them things to avoid like throwing toys at the dog will go a long way in strengthening their relationship.

8. Reward the dog with treats for behaving and treating the baby well.

Rewarding a dog for good behavior only encourages them to behave better towards the baby, this will make things easier for you.

Conclusion.

As a parent your child’s safety should be your priority, regardless of the dogs reaction towards the baby you should not leave the baby with the dog alone without any form of. supervision. Babies are very fragile and completely trusting the dog with your baby should not be an option.